You still care for her.

“Stop making this about me. I've told you there's nothing to be told. If you need to tell me something, just go ahead and say it.”

He squints his eyes towards her. “Ok . . . I'd assume there's nothing. But, if I find out you're hiding something from me, you will be in trouble. I won't take it simple on you.”

She looks away. He wakes up to leave and she says.

“Why don't you tell me what is going on with you? I know you only suspected something will go wrong in the party, and that's why you sent that man to protect me. So, tell me, do you have anything to do with the people who did that to me?”

Jamal freezes as the room drowns in silence. She wishes she took back her statement.

He turns around, and she gulps. “What?”

She blinks her eyes, while a little bold nature climbs up.

“Are you . . . dealing with some bad guys?”

Jamal breaths in heavily feeling guilty about his past, even when he knows what she's asking is not true.

“Where is this coming from?”

Myla becomes speechless as recalls herself about Latif's words concerning Jamal's family.

She didn't approach him about it, because she wasn't sure it will end well, just as the last time she approached him in the bathroom.

“Now, I'm certain you're hiding something from me.”

“Well, Latif came the last time to see me, and she talked about your dad's influences. And how he got killed for it, though you told me he died of a natural cause.”

“I didn't tell you that. My mom did. Besides, why will you let her into this house, and more to that listen to what she tells you. Are you foolish to forget so soon what happened to you friend? How can you stoop so low?”

“Stop saying all these things without even knowing why she came here! She mentioned about Gabriella, and everything that happened between both of you. She told me Gabriella is ready to do anything for me not to stay in this house with you.”

Jamal jamps his hands into his pocket. “And you believed her?”

“Off course I did. She's changed, and wanted to keep me aware of her once best friend, whom she knows so well. She was even scared of telling me a lot of things as if she'd be heard by her, somehow.”

“Don't you think she could be scared of showing up in this house, after what happened to her compliant, Dan? But no, she drove all the way here even when she knew we'd call the cops on her.”

“Gabriella is obsessed after everything that happened in past, but she wouldn't get involved in destroying anything, right now, because you did nothing to her. She only did what she did to Latif, because of what transpired in the accident which almost took her life. Latif has always been a liar. Don't let her talk you out of who you've known her to be.”

“Did you know Gabriella killed your child to get back at you?”

Jamal clenches his jawbones. “Yes, I did. And you know why?”

Myla stiffens.

“Because, I refused the baby. But, later on I regretted it, and that's why I don't blame her for doing it.”

Myla bits on her lip.

“If she killed our child, then I killed it, too. Please, I don't want you, reminding me about this, again.”

“Now, I get it. That look . . . you gave her the last time, showed how much you still care for her. Isn't it right?”

Jamal sighs. “What do you want, Myla? Are you trying to tempt me, because, I'd soon fall for it.”

Myla's eyes blur with tears. “You say she's obsessed about your baby, and that's why she can do anything, even if . . . hurting me makes her happy.”

“What! That's not what I meant! Ok, right now, you need rest. I'm going to call the doctor to check on you.”

He walks away before she makes another annoying statement.

Firstly, his past is something he doesn't want to talk about with anyone. He still can't believe he opened up to her at the movie house, last year.

But, he hopes it ends here. He won't tolerate anything from that in her mouth again.

Myla starts wiping against her sheets, while Jamal meets his mom on the stairs, matching up.

He stops, and she does, too. She gives him an unhappy gaze, then walks away towards his room.

Jamal scratching the brim of his nose, and his eyebrows as a nervous harbit, while dialing their personal doctor.

“Baby!” Mrs. Mehdi's voice echoes from the door, and Myla wipes her tears, trying to look calm.

However, it fails. Her mom had seen it. She walks over and hugs her daughter-in-law.

“Everything will be fine,”

Myla just sobs a little as the woman parts her hair in assurance.

“You got this.”

. . .

Later that day

After Myla has been checked and falls asleep, Mrs. Mehdi calls Jamal out to talk with him.

He kisses the crown of her head, and leaves with his mom.

At the corridor, she speaks, “Boy, are you getting yourself into some kind of trouble?”

He looks at his mom, scratching the back of his neck. “Mom, please, not that?”

“You have to tell me, because I don't want what happened to your dad to happen to you.”

He rest his back against the wall, saying nothing.

She sighs. “Patricia told me what happened. It's everywhere in the news. She thinks you are behind Benjamin's dead. And I think you're getting into something dangerous, or some people trying to get back to you.”

“Mom, my wife is right in there.” he points to the door.

“So what? She needs to know who her husband has been. I wouldn't be happy if I found out myself, because I'm a woman. Just look at what happened to her. Don't you think some people are trying to get to her, because of you?”

“My priority has always been to protect her. The same way I tried to do with Gabriella, before she found out who I was. So, this is not a good idea.”

“But, Myla is not Gabriella. She's understanding, unlike Gabriella?”

He stands straight, robing his palms over his face. “We had so much more, than just what you know, mom. And the same thing is going on here. Latif came into this house. Did she tell you?”

She freezes.

“Off course she didn't. She didn't tell you, that criminal said some things about dad. And how we are the same. But I refuse to accept it.”

“Why does it bother you so much if you ain't like him?”

“Because I'm not! I did the things I did, because I was trying to clean up his mess. So, it hurts to know everyone sees me that way.”

“I've known you from when you were a little boy. You always wanted to do the right thing, and I don't blame you for it. I thought it was all my fault, that I couldn't protect you from taking over his attitude. But, it's no one's fault. Because you came from him. It's genetic, and you must accept it to be able to control it.”

“I'm not going to hate you for it. I just want you to be careful. Revenge is not a solution. Once you have money, you have power, and this power attracts evil people. They'd do everything to put you down, but don't fight back. Because they don't level up to you. Let nothing change that heart inside of you.”

“Mom . . . I didn't kill, Benjamin. Yes, I eagerly wanted to punch him so hard, but don't you think I've done so much worse to leave such a mess. It's all a plan to ruin my image. I didn't want to watch that f-cking news, because of all the lies they tell. People pay to give out unworthy info about others. It can't be just a coincidence that someone took pics of what happened at the restaurant?”

Mrs. Mehdi thinks for a minute. “If you aren't behind this, then who is?”

“Someone you don't know. I'm going to handle this personally.”

“Jamal, you're going to do nothing. No revenge, I said. Stop this! I've had enough with your dad, then you? Do you want me dead, already?”

“Mom, understand me. I won't let anyone joke around with my family. Except, I'm not the Jamal you gave birth to.”

“Jamal... it's still part of the trap they're trying to put you into. Don't stop resisting this feelings, and they'd get tired of it. Don't play their game anymore.”

“But mom, can't you see? Can't you see what's going on? I was on my own and they did this. You said it yourself. They know we have the power, so they're able to make people believe Patricia is the killer, because he broke up with her and she or I did it to revenge my family's humiliation.”

“And now, you're finally trying to revenge your family's humiliation. Only making them right about everything.”

“I don't want to have this conversation with you, again, son. Think of your wife's situation, and what people have known her to be. For her sake, stop this, please.”

She walks past him to the stairs, while he sighs, returning to his room.

He looks at his wife, lying deeply asleep in bed, and shoves a hand into his pocket, scrubbing his forehead with the other.

To be continued...